Pump seal construction



July 10, 1945.'l R. R. CURTIS 2379,363

' BUMP SEAL CONSTRUCTION v Filed May 27, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 PHS-SELL CURTIS July 10, 1945.l

R. R. CURTIS 2,379,868

PUMP SEAL CONSTRUCTION t Filed May 27. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW 9 f6 ff 258 32 Y, l` l 7 3' c e 6o 60dr 29 Enf/sn dz- Patexllted` July 10, 1945 2.379,868 :PUMP SEAL CONSTRUCTION Russell R. Curtis, Dayton,

tis Pump Company, Dayt of Ohio Ohio, assigner to Guron,`hio, a corporation Application May 27, 1943, Serial No. 488,847

(.Cl. 28B- 11) 12 Claims.

This invention relates to seal constructions for relatively rotating members wherein the members can be widely displaced relative to each other during operation without. in any way disturbing the seal.

Specifically, the invention relates to shaft seals especially useful in pump constructions and including relatively rotating seal rings in sliding face to face engagement together with cooperat-4 ing bearing surfaces on the shaft and the rotating seal ring accommodating angular displacement of the shaft without affecting the sliding face to face contact of the sealing rings.

This invention Will be hereinafter specically described as embodied in rotary vane pumps such as aircraft engine fuel pumps, but it should be understood that theseals of this invention are not limited tosuch uses since they are applis l cable to many mechanical installations. `In accordance with this invention, a stationary seal member receives a rotating seal member in sliding face engagement therewith and a shaft projects freely through both sealmembers. This shaft has splined connection at its ends with a prime mover such as an aircraft engine and with the rotor of a pump. ASince the shaft may wobble in operation, it is-highly desirablethat such -wobblin`g movements have no effect upon the sliding face engagement of the seals and, in accordance with this invention, the shaft is equipped with an' arcuate bearing surface adapted to thrust against a complementary bearing surface on the rotating seal member. A'rubber sleeve has a reduced-diameter end portion in sealing engagement on theshaft, an enlarged diameter opposite end portion embracing the `rotating seal ring and preferably seated in a groove of this seal ring, and a flexible vshoulder or diaphragm portion connecting the end portions and adapted to ex for permitting relative movement between the rotating seal ring and the shaft without allowing leakage between rthe shaft and seal ring, As the shaft is wobbled or cocked, the arcute bearing surfaces on the shaft and on' the rotating l Without in any way disturbing the position ,of the rotating seal and the flexible diaphragm portion of the rubber sleeve will likewise accommodate such movements without moving the rotating seal.-

A feature-vof the invention is thea cup 'member embracing the large diameter end seal will slide .relative to each other provision` of of the rubber sleeve to prevent radial displacement of this end from the rotating seal ring and' to drive the rotating seal ring from thetshaft through a spring retainer having keyed connection with a splined portion of the shaft. This retainer has tangs projecting inwardly into severalspaces between the spline teeth on the shaft so that it necessarily rotates with the shaft. Addiand its hub support.

tional tangs are struck up from the retainer to seat in slots provided in the cup for driving the cup with the retainer. The cup preferably has a' shoulder portion overlying the outer marginal rportion of the rubber sleeve diaphragm or shoulder and a coiled spring is held under compression between the retainer and this shoulder of the cup to urge the rotating seal ring against the stationary seal ring.

The spring retainer the hub of the pump rotor and, since this rotor is driven by the shaft,'no relative movement or rubbi'ng action will occur between the retainer It is, then, an object of this invention to provldeia seal construction forrelativelymovingmembers accommodating angular displacement of the members throughout a wide range wlthoutinterference with the sealing efficiency.

A still further object of the invention is to ,provide a shaft seal ofthe relatively rotating seal ring type wherein the through a stationary seal seal ring` and in which the shaft has an arcuate bearing surface thrusting against a complementary `bearing surface on the rotating seal ring so that the shaft can be rocked without rocking the seal rings.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide shaft extends freely ring and a rotating a seal construction of the 'relatively rotating seal ring type for a shaft adapted to rock about a center point, wherein the shaft and rotating seal ring have arcuate bearing surfaces 'struck frn a radius centered on the rocking center of the shaftso that the shaft can readily rock about this'center without rocking the rotating seal ring.

A specific object of the invention isto provide a seal for a rotary vane pump having a splined rotor hub receiving a' splined driving shaft wherein a rotating seal ring is driven through a metal cup member from a spring retainer bottomed on the splined rotor hub and 'having keyed connection with 'the splined end of the shaft. J

A lfurther object of the invention is to provide a pump seal between a pumpl shaft and a pumpcaslng having a bearing surface cooperating with a bearing vsurface on the shaft-to accommodate rocking of the shaft and also having a flexible rubber sleeve between the seal and shaft preventing leakage along the shaft in any relative position of the shaft and seal.

Other and-further objects of the invention willV .become apparent to those'skilled in the artfrom the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which. by way of preferred examples only, illustrate several embodiments of the invention.

On the drawings: l .i

Figure 1 is va longitudinal cross-sectional view,

is preferably bottomed on i,

with parts in elevation, of a rotary vane pump equipped with a seal construction according to this invention.

Figure 2 is va transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view `taken along the-line IV--IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 illustratingthe positions of the seal parts when the drive shaft is in an extreme' cocked position. ,v

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectionalview similar to vFigure 1 illustrating a modified seal. construction according to this invention.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure Sillustrating a further modified seal construction according to this invention. n 1 l.

Figure 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line VIH-VIII-of Figure 7.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1, the reference numeral lli designates generally a rotary vane fuel pump espe-` Y cially adaptedy for aircraft usage mounted in a casing Il having a closed end and an open end. A liner I2 is seated in the casing IIand has an inner surface I3 providing the vpump bore. A

rotor I4 is mounted for rotation in the casingY and has a reduced-diameter hub Ida at the closed l end of the casing rotatably mounted in a bearing I5 seated on the closed end of the casing.

I The rotorf Ialso has a second reduced-diameter 2,879,868 v ring' za. The inner ena of this drive vshaft is splined as at3Iand is seated in the splined hub IIb in splinedengagement with the teeth I'I of this hub.

The splined and the shaft 29 is such that the shaftA can rock relative to the hub.

IThe shaft 29 has a second splined end 3 2 projectlng beyond the cover 2I. This splined yend 32 is adapted to be connected to aprirne mover such as an aircraft'engine drive shaft.

The stationary seal ring 20 is preferably a coni- Apressed carbon ring While the rotating ring 28 is metallic and is preferably a hard metal alloy suchas nitralloy.

The above descriptions-apply to all figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment .of theinvention illustrated in Figures l to 5, `the shaft-29 yhas the portion thereof between the splined ends 3l and 32 ofv lesser diameter than the minor diameters of the splined ends so that these splined ends can be hub Illb rotatablyl mounted in a second bearing I6 carried in the casing in spaced relation inwardly from the open end of the casing. This hub I4b has internal spline teeth I1.

As it customary in rotary vane pumps, the rotor I4 has slots Ilic therein slidably carrying vanes I8 acting on the surface I3 of the liner I2.

A spacer sleeve I9 is mounted in the casing li and is bottomed on the bearing I6. The sleeve I9 is beveled as at I9a and a seal gasket lsb 'is seated' around (the beveled end ofthe sleeve in the space between the bevel and casing II. A stationary seal ring 20 is next mounted in the casing and is bottomed'on the spacer sleeve I9 against the seal gasket I9a. An end cap 2l closes the open end of the casing and has a skirt or gland portion 22 extending into the casing for thrusting relationY with thel stationaryseal ring 20 to clamp this seal ring between the sleeve I9 and the ,cover 2 I The cover 2| is centrally apertured as at 23 and the seal ring 20 is centrally apertured as at 24. The gland`22 of the cover can be apertured at spaced intervals therearound as at 25 to join the interior of the casing with drain ports 26. i

A seal chamber 2I is thus provided in the casing between the stationary seal ring 20 and the bearing I6. A rotating seal ring 28 is disposed in this chamber 21 and has a raised end face porfully hereinafter y off of the A drive shaft 29 projects through the aperture 23 oifthe cover 2 I, the aperture 24 of the seal ring 2.0, and through a central aperture in the ses] simultaneously cut during a single milling operation. In this embodiment a'two-piece metal sleeve 33 surrounds the intermediate portion of the shaft between the splined ends 3l and 32. and has an inturned flange 34 at one end thereof bottomed on a shoulder 35 providedon the shaft adjacent the splined end 32 thereof. The other end of the sleeve 33 has an outturned skirt 36 of arcuate shape adapted to seatl in the arcuate recess 28h of the rotating sealring 28. .Each piece of the two-piece sleeve 33 has a pair of opposed tangs 31 struck outwardly therefrom and a metal snap ring 38 encircles the sleeve between the opposed tangs 31 toA clamp the sleeve parts onto the shaft-29.

The sleeve 3,3 is t us fixedly mounted onthe shaft 29 and has al skirtfproviding 'an arcuate bearing surface for ythe shaft cooperating with the bearing surface provided by the arcuate. recess of the rotating seal ring.

A rubber sleeve 40 has `a large I end il embracing the seal ring 28 and equipped with an inturned'bead or lip groove 28e around the seal ring. A flexible'diaphragm or shoulder portion 43 of the sleeve extends radially inward from the enlarged end portion di thereof in spacedv relationA from the rey ring 28 and mergesv into aA reduced-diameter cylindrical" portion 44 cessed face 28h of the seal snuglyv embracing the shaft 29 and receiving metal snap rings 45 therearound to connect the sleeveun sealing relation with the shaft.

A metal cup member has a large -open end 5I covering the portion III of the sleeve 40 and holding the sleeve against radial displacement seal ring 2s tomaintainsealing relation between the sleeve and yseal ring. This cup lmember 50 also has an inturned flange portion 52 overlying a portion only of the shoulder ordiaphrag'm portion 43 of the sleeve and continuing radially inward to a reduced-diameter cylindrical portion 53 of llarger diameter than the portion M of the sleeve -so as to surround this sleeve portion in spaced relation. y

A metal spring retainer cup 54 is bottomed on the rotor hub Ilb and has an aperture therethrough freely receiving the shaft. This retainer 54, however, has several tangs 55 around the aperture thereof extending into several spaces between the spline teeth on the shaft end 3i thereby connecting the retainer for corotation with the shaft and rotor hub IIb.

The bottom of the retainer. in addition, has f .connection between the hub IIb` diameter openl 42 seated in the.

asvases a. plurality of tangs I6 struck upwardly therefrom to seat in slots 53a formed in the end of the portion 53 of the cup member 50. y 1

`A coil spring lBl is bottomed on the retainer 54 and acts against the flange or shoulder 52 of the cup 59 for urging the cup, diaphragm portion 43 oi the rubber sleeve 40, and sealing ring 28 toward the stationary seal ring 29 to maintain the face 28a of the seal ring 28 into sliding face engagement with the face 20d of the seal ring 29.

The tangs 55, asexplained above, will drive theA retainer with the shaft and rotor hub and the tangs 56,-in turn. will drive the cup B0 with the retainer. The cup 50, in turn, has a snug fit with the portion 4I of the sleeve, and this portion 4I of the sleeve has a snug nt with the periphery o'f the rotating seal ring 28. Therefore, the rotating seal ring is drivingly connected around the periphery thereof for corotatlon with the drive shaft and no relative slippage between the drive shaft and rotating seal ring will occur. At the same time, however, the spring 51 .is effective to act on the seal ring 2 8 to maintain sealing rela;-

' tion withthe stationary seal ring 20.

As best shown in Figure 5, the splined end 3| of theiriver l29 cooperates with the spline teeth I1 in the rotor hub Mbso that the driver 29 can be fcocked or oscillate about a center point C f The cooperating spline teeth are developed on an involute 4curve to permit such rocking or cocking of the driver 29 about a center suchl as C. The bearlngface of .the skirt 35 and the bearing face of the recess 28h are struck from' a radius R. centered on the same center point C so that the skirt 36 can ride over the bearing face 28h without in any way cocking the sealing ring 28. The flexible diaphragm or shoulder portion 43 of the rubber sleeve 40 can readily be deformed during such cooking movement without interfering.

with the movement and at the same time maintain the sealing relation between the shaft and sealing ring 28.V Part of the portion 44 of the sleeve 4D may roll off ofthe shaft to add w the length of the diaphragm portio'n 48 during extreme cooking ofthe shaft. Obviously. if necessary the portion 43 could stretch to permit extreme cooking of theshaft.

As shown in Figure 5, the driver 29 is cocked to an extreme positionand bears against the wall defining the aperture 23 of the cover 2|. In actual operation, of course, such extreme positions would never be reached, but the drawing illus trates that the seal will function eiciently even if such positions were reached. i

The tangs 55 on the retainer 54 do not project into the bottom of the spaces between the spline teeth on the driver end l3| so that the. cooking orv wobbling movements of the driver will not cock or wobblev the retainer 54 off ofthe rotor hub' Mb. As a result, the spring pressure on the roof the rotating seal ring 28 ln the same manner Instead of providing a rubber sleeve 49 for lsealingly connecting the rotating seal ring 28 with the driver .29 as in Figures 1 to 5, as shown in Figure 6 this rubber sleeve can be in the form of aysubstantially flat disk 6I having a circular opening through the center thereof receiving the shaft therethrough and bounded by a. thickened portion 62. A metal sleeve 63 is pressed onto the driver 29 against the thickened portion 82 to hold this thickened portion against the shoulder 60 and thereby sealingly connect the rubber disk with the driver 29. The outer marginal portion of the rubber disk 6I can have an upturned ange 64 thereon with an inturned bead 65 for seating in the groove formed around the rotating seal ring 28. The structure of Figure 6 willoperate in the same manner as described in connection with Figures 1 to 5, but the formation of the integral shoulder 60 on the driver 29 eliminates the possibiuty of cutting both splined ends al and n 'on I the driver in the same operation, because'this diameter of the splined ends.

In the modification shown in Figures? and 8, the rubber sleeve 49 of Figures 1 to 5 is used with a shoulder construction as in Figure 6,- andthe operation of the seal is the same as' ih Figure 6. In Figures 7 and 8, however, a different type of retainer 'In is used. This retainer 10, as best show in Figure 8, is a stamped metal washer withI an upstanding flange Il around the outer.. periphery thereof anda second upstanding'flange 12 around the central aperture 'I3 thereof. 'I he inner flange 12 has a plurality of tangs therearound pressed into the aperture 'I3 as at 12a'` and thence extending parallel with the flange 12 as at 12b to provide key connections with' the splined en d 3l ofthe driver 29.

The bottom 'wall of the resulting washer of U- shaped cross section has tangs 56 stamped up? wardly therefrom the same as the retainer i4 for cooperating with the cup member 69 as described hereinabove. ix

As shown in Figure 7, the driver 29 has a groove I4 adjacent the splined end Il thereof into which the portions 12b canproiect. The spring 51, as in Figures 1 to 6, is held under compression between the cup 50 and the retainer 1I.

From the above descriptions it'will be` understood that the invention now` 'provides lseals wherein sealing efficiency is maintained even' though the relatively rotating members being sealed are cocked "or wobbled during operation.

bling of a drive 'shaft without affecting the tating seal 28 is not affected by cooking or wobi appended claims. 'I0

arcuate bearing face 69a struck/from the saine radius R centered on the rocking center C ofthe i 4.driver 29 to cooperate with the recessed face 28o sealing relation of the parts. These arcuate bearing surfacesare preferably generated from radii centered on the axis of wobbling of drive Shaft. It will,A of course, be

a wide range without departing from the principles'of this invention and -it is, therefore. not

the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than'necessitated by the scope of the Iclaimasmyinvention:

1. A shaft land seal construction comprising I a stationary seal membe` having a sealing face.' a rotating seal member having a cooperating sealing face for sliding contact with saldi face. of,

thestationary seal member, said rotating shoulder is of larger diameter than the minor understood that various ldetails' of construction may be varied through member having a bearing face accommodating tilting movements, a shaft extending freely through both of said sealing members, means on said shaft providing a bearing face tiitable on the bearing face of the rotating seal member, a

flexible rubber member embracing said rotating seal member and said shaft in sealing relation therewith, a cup member surrounding said rubber member having a shoulder portion and a reduced-diameter collar portion extending from said shoulder portion, a retainer keyed to said shaft, means connecting said retainer and cup member for corotation, and a spring bottomed on said retainer acting against said shoulder of the cup member for urging the rotating seal member against the stationary seal member.

2. A shaft seal construction comprising sealing members in sliding sealing engagement, a 'shaft extending through said members, a flexible sealing diaphragm connecting theshaft and one of the sealing members to prevent leakage between the shaft and sealing members, and co- /operating bearing surfaces on said one sealing member and said shaft accommodating rocking of the shaft relative tothe sealing member.

3. A seal construction comprising a. pair of apertured seal members, means urging said seal members into sliding face to face engagement, a

shaft extending through the apertures of said members, means on said shaft providing an arcuate rocking surface, means connecting one of said seal members with said shaft for 'carotation, and said one seal member having an arcuate bearing surface thereon cooperating with said means on the shaft to accommodate rocking movement of the shaft without moving the seal members. v

4. A seal construction comprising an apertured stationary seal member, an apertured rotating seal member in sliding face engagement with a face of said stationary seal member, said rotat- -ing seal member having an arcuate recess in the face thereof opposite the face engaging the sta- 4 asvassa said diaphragm for driving the seal ring with the shaft, and said shaft and said seal gring having cooperating tilting surfaces sealed by the Adiaphragm and accommodating tilting of the shaft.

7. In a seal construction for a splined shaft, a spring retainer surrounding said shaft having tangs projecting into the spaces Abetween the splined teeth on said shaft, a cup member having a slotted end portion, tangs on said spring retainer seated in the slots of said cup member,A and a seal ring seated in said cup member. for corotation therewith whereby said shaft will drive said retainer, said retainer will drive said cup member, and said ,cup member will drive said seal ring.

8. In a seal construction of the relatively roting seal ring type including apertured seal rings in sliding face engagement, and a shaft extending through said seal rings, the improvements of a multi-piece-sleeve on said shaft, means securing the sleeve pieces to the shaft, skirt portions on the sleeve pieces defining an annular rocking face around the shaft, and one of said seal rings having'a face portion receiving said skirt in tiltable relation.

9. In a seal construction including an apertured rotating seal ring, and a shaft extending ring, a rotating seal ring in sliding face engagetionaryseal member, a shaft extending through A the apertures of both seal members, skirt means on said shaft adapted to tilt in said recess of the A rotating seal member, and a'ilexible sleeve member accommodating tilting movements of the shaft relative to the rotating seal memberv connesting the rotating seal member and shaft in sealing relation. 7

5. A pump construction including a pump rotor having an internally splined hub, a driver rockably splined in said hub, a stationary seal memb er having a sealing face in spaced opposed relation from said hub, a rotating seal member having a sealing face cooperating with the sealing face of said stationary seal member, flexible diaphragm means in the space between the stationary seal member and the rotor hb`connecting the driver and rotating seal member in sealing relation, means bottomed on the rotor hub urg ing the rotating seal member against the stationary seal member.- and means defining relatively rocking faces on said driver and on said rotating seal member accommodating tilting of Athe driver without'moving the seal members.

- 6. In a seal construction including a Sealrins and a shaft projecting throughsaid 'rlng,`the

improvements of a flexible diaphragm yieldably connecting saidseal ring and shaft in sealing relation; means keyed to said shaft embracing ment with said stationary seal ring. said rotating seal ring having an annular groove therearound, a rubber sleeve having abeaded end portion seated in said groove of the rotating seal ring, said rubber sleeve embracing said shaft in sealing engagement therewith, and said shaft having .an arcuate rocking face acting on said rotating seal ring and disposed 4between the sleeve and seal ring.

il. In a pump construction including a pump rotor having -an internally splined hub, a shaft rockably splined in said hub adapted to tilt about a center point in said hub, a seal ring surround.- ing said shaft in spaced relation having'a' concave rocking face struck from a radius centered on the tilting center of the shaft. means defining a convex rocking face on said shaft struck from a radius centered on the rocking' center of said shaft and riding on the concave face of said bearing annular sleeve thereomsaid sleeve members having outturned arcuate skirt portions providing a.

rocking face on the shaft, and a seal member having a concave recess receiving the rocking face of the skirt portion.

RUSSELL R. CURTIS. 

